KMT’s cultural genocide
From 1883 to 1998, the Canadian government removed 150,000 First Nations and non-white children from their homes and put them through 139 brutal boarding schools.
The Canadian government forced assimilation on three non-white groups in Canada, scrubbing out their culture and religious beliefs, and taught them an altered history that the government wanted.
The consequence was that 1.4 million First Nations people have a lower average income, as well as higher rates of incarceration, suicide and diseases than the whole population.
Since 2008, the government has paid US$3.5 billion in compensation through the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but many more recommendations from the commission have yet to be implemented (see The Economist, June 6).
History repeats for those who are ignorant about the past. It is totally unacceptable to alter proposed high-school textbooks to brainwash schoolchildren, especially in a democratic society.
Worse still, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) staffed the curriculum review committee with personnel indoctrinated in China.
The Republic of China proclaims itself a democracy, but the government wants to delete historical events, such as the 228 Incident and the White Terror era, from textbooks, replacing them with lies and brainwashing material.
The administration has added a new section to textbook guidelines emphasizing Chinese culture, with no mention of Taiwanese or Aboriginal culture.
The KMT still has no idea that it is committing cultural genocide. It still does not understand that Taiwanese will not accept such tactics.
The textbooks, if Taiwanese allow them, would alter not only the nation’s recent history, but also historical facts. They recharacterize events back to the Dutch colonial period (1624-1662) and the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895.
What is the purpose of history lessons in schools if the facts can be altered at any time for political purposes?
The future of Taiwan belongs to the younger generation. Fortunately, young Taiwanese, such as those involved in the Sunflower movement, have the courage to challenge the central government over black-box trade deals with China.
Additionally, the ongoing Black Umbrella action is challenging the curriculum changes directly.
There is hope indeed.
Taiwanese should not allow history to be altered for political purposes. People are proud of their past and look forward to a bright future. After all, history is what makes people who they are.
Yu-Chong Lin
Honolulu, Hawaii
Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan in late February. During their various meetings with Taiwan’s leaders, this delegation never missed an opportunity to emphasize the strength of their cross-party consensus on issues relating to Taiwan and China. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi are leaders of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Their instruction upon taking the reins of the committee was to preserve China issues as a last bastion of bipartisanship in an otherwise deeply divided Washington. They have largely upheld their pledge. But in doing so, they have performed the
It is well known that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) ambition is to rejuvenate the Chinese nation by unification of Taiwan, either peacefully or by force. The peaceful option has virtually gone out of the window with the last presidential elections in Taiwan. Taiwanese, especially the youth, are resolved not to be part of China. With time, this resolve has grown politically stronger. It leaves China with reunification by force as the default option. Everyone tells me how and when mighty China would invade and overpower tiny Taiwan. However, I have rarely been told that Taiwan could be defended to
It should have been Maestro’s night. It is hard to envision a film more Oscar-friendly than Bradley Cooper’s exploration of the life and loves of famed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. It was a prestige biopic, a longtime route to acting trophies and more (see Darkest Hour, Lincoln, and Milk). The film was a music biopic, a subgenre with an even richer history of award-winning films such as Ray, Walk the Line and Bohemian Rhapsody. What is more, it was the passion project of cowriter, producer, director and actor Bradley Cooper. That is the kind of multitasking -for-his-art overachievement that Oscar
Chinese villages are being built in the disputed zone between Bhutan and China. Last month, Chinese settlers, holding photographs of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), moved into their new homes on land that was not Xi’s to give. These residents are part of the Chinese government’s resettlement program, relocating Tibetan families into the territory China claims. China shares land borders with 15 countries and sea borders with eight, and is involved in many disputes. Land disputes include the ones with Bhutan (Doklam plateau), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin) and Nepal (near Dolakha and Solukhumbu districts). Maritime disputes in the South China